Vertebrobasilar contribution to Cerebral Arterial System of Dromedary Camels (Camelus dromedarius)

It is hypothesized that in the “more highly evolved” mammals, including the domesticated mammals, that the brainstem and the cerebellum receive arterial blood through the vertebrobasilar system whilst the internal carotid arteries primarily supply the forebrain. In camels, the arterial blood supply to the brain differs from that of ruminants since the internal carotid artery and the rostral epidural rete mirabile (RERM) are both present and the basilar artery contributes a significant proportion of cerebral afferent blood. In this study, we described the anatomical distribution of the vertebrobasilar system arterial supply in the dromedary. Secondly, we determined the direction of blood flow within the vertebral and basilar arteries using transcranial color doppler ultrasonography. Thirdly, we quantified the percentage arterial contributions of the carotid and vertebrobasilar systems to the dromedary brain. Fifty-five heads of freshly slaughtered male Omani dromedaries aged 2–6 years were dissected to determine the distribution and topography of the arterial distribution to the brain. Their anatomical orientation was assessed by casting techniques using epoxy resin, polyurethane resin and latex neoprene. The epoxy resin and polyurethane resin casts of the head and neck arteries were used to measure the diameter of vertebrobasilar arterial system and carotid arterial system at pre-determined locations. These arterial diameters were used to calculate the percentage of blood supplied by each arterial system. The vertebrobasilar system in dromedary camels consists of paired vertebral arteries that contribute to the ventral spinal artery and basilar artery at multiple locations. In most specimens the vertebral artery was the primary contributor to the basilar artery compared to that of the ventral spinal artery. In four specimens the ventral spinal arteries appear to be the dominant contributor to the basilar artery. Transcranial color doppler ultrasonography confirmed that the direction of blood flow within the vertebral and basilar arteries was toward the brain in animals examined in ventral recumbency and when standing. The vertebrobasilar system contributes 34% of the blood supply to the brain. The vertebrobasilar system is the exclusive supply to the medulla oblongata, pons and cerebellum

Microbial Status of Animal Anatomical Cadavers Fixed Using Low Formaldehyde Concentrations

Microbial growth on the skin and organ surfaces is a common problem associated with formaldehyde fixation of animal cadavers and is especially so following watering of cadavers prior to dissection. Cadavers of three sheep, one goat and three horses were fixed with a solution of 2% formaldehyde, 30% ethanol, and 20% polyethylene glycol 400. At time intervals tissue samples of; skeletal muscle, lung and intestine were analyzed for cultivable aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria and fungi. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel cadaver fixative solution having a 2% formaldehyde concentration. Visual examination of each fixed cadaver’s skeletal muscles and visceral organs showed that these had retained a relatively natural appearance. No yeast or mould was cultured. Anaerobic bacteria namely Clostridium sporogenes and C. tyrobutyricum were isolated from the muscles of wo sheep. The aerobic bacterium Bacillus licheniformis was cultivated from the colon and duodenum of all three horses 40 days post fixation

Complement Activation-Independent Attenuation of SARS-CoV-2 Infection by C1q and C4b-Binding Protein

Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.Copyright © 2023 by the authors. The complement system is a key component of the innate immune response to viruses and proinflammatory events. Exaggerated complement activation has been attributed to the induction of a cytokine storm in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there is also an argument for the protective role of complement proteins, given their local synthesis or activation at the site of viral infection. This study investigated the complement activation-independent role of C1q and C4b-binding protein (C4BP) against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The interactions of C1q, its recombinant globular heads, and C4BP with the SARS-CoV-2 spike and receptor binding domain (RBD) were examined using direct ELISA. In addition, RT-qPCR was used to evaluate the modulatory effect of these complement proteins on the SARS-CoV-2-mediated immune response. Cell binding and luciferase-based viral entry assays were utilised to assess the effects of C1q, its recombinant globular heads, and C4BP on SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. C1q and C4BP bound directly to SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype particles via the RBD domain of the spike protein. C1q via its globular heads and C4BP were found to reduce binding as well as viral transduction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein expressing lentiviral pseudotypes into transfected A549 cells expressing human ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Furthermore, the treatment of the SARS-CoV-2 spike, envelope, nucleoprotein, and membrane protein expressing alphaviral pseudotypes with C1q, its recombinant globular heads, or C4BP triggered a reduction in mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-α, and RANTES (as well as NF-κB) in A549 cells expressing human ACE2 and TMPRSS2. In addition, C1q and C4BP treatment also reduced SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype infection-mediated NF-κB activation in A549 cells expressing human ACE2 and TMPRSS2. C1q and C4BP are synthesised primarily by hepatocytes; however, they are also produced by macrophages, and alveolar type II cells, respectively, locally at the pulmonary site. These findings support the notion that the locally produced C1q and C4BP can be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a complement activation-independent manner, offering immune resistance by inhibiting virus binding to target host cells and attenuating the infection-associated inflammatory response.UAEU grant (UK), Wellcome Trust (NT), and Researchers Supporting Project No. RSPD2023R 770, King Saud University, Riyadh (HK)

Complement Activation-Independent Attenuation of SARS-CoV-2 Infection by C1q and C4b-Binding Protein

The complement system is a key component of the innate immune response to viruses and proinflammatory events. Exaggerated complement activation has been attributed to the induction of a cytokine storm in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there is also an argument for the protective role of complement proteins, given their local synthesis or activation at the site of viral infection. This study investigated the complement activation-independent role of C1q and C4b-binding protein (C4BP) against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The interactions of C1q, its recombinant globular heads, and C4BP with the SARS-CoV-2 spike and receptor binding domain (RBD) were examined using direct ELISA. In addition, RT-qPCR was used to evaluate the modulatory effect of these complement proteins on the SARS-CoV-2-mediated immune response. Cell binding and luciferase-based viral entry assays were utilised to assess the effects of C1q, its recombinant globular heads, and C4BP on SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. C1q and C4BP bound directly to SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype particles via the RBD domain of the spike protein. C1q via its globular heads and C4BP were found to reduce binding as well as viral transduction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein expressing lentiviral pseudotypes into transfected A549 cells expressing human ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Furthermore, the treatment of the SARS-CoV-2 spike, envelope, nucleoprotein, and membrane protein expressing alphaviral pseudotypes with C1q, its recombinant globular heads, or C4BP triggered a reduction in mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-α, and RANTES (as well as NF-κB) in A549 cells expressing human ACE2 and TMPRSS2. In addition, C1q and C4BP treatment also reduced SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype infection-mediated NF-κB activation in A549 cells expressing human ACE2 and TMPRSS2. C1q and C4BP are synthesised primarily by hepatocytes; however, they are also produced by macrophages, and alveolar type II cells, respectively, locally at the pulmonary site. These findings support the notion that the locally produced C1q and C4BP can be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a complement activation-independent manner, offering immune resistance by inhibiting virus binding to target host cells and attenuating the infection-associated inflammatory response

Measurement of the femoral anteversion angle in medium and large dog breeds using computed tomography

To promote the development of an optimally functional total hip prosthesis for medium and large dog breeds, accurate measurements of the normal anatomy of the proximal femur and acetabular retroversion are essential. The aim of the current study was to obtain precise normal values of the femoral anteversion angle using computed tomography on cadavers of mature dogs with normal hip joints of both medium and large breeds. Based on the length of their femora 58 dogs were allocated either to group I: ≤195 mm or group II: >195 mm. In the study the femoral anteversion angle (FAA) was measured on each femur using multi-slice spiral computed tomography (CT). The data were processed as multi-planar and three-dimensional reconstructions using Advantage Workstation software. The CT measurements showed that the mean ± standard deviation (SD) FAA of group I was 31.34 ± 5.47° and in group II it was 31.02 ± 4.95°. There were no significant mean difference associations between the length of the femur and the femoral neck angle in either group (P > 0.05). The data suggest that a prosthesis FAA of 31 degrees would be suitable for a wide range of dog sizes

A histologic and histomorphometric study of the first stomach chamber of the dromedary (Camelus dromedarius)

In this study, tissue samples from 2 glandular and 2 non-glandular regions of the stomach's first compartment (C1) were collected from 48 healthy dromedaries of 4 age groups; 1–4 years, 5–7 years, 8–11 years and 12–16 years. After fixing in 10% buffered formalin, the specimens were processed routinely, stained with H&E and their histology examined and the thickness of the different layers measured. The histological data were similar to those previously reported whilst the histomorphometric data revealed significant intergroup variation (p=0.001) in the thickness of all layers in the caudodorsal glandular sac and the cranioventral non-glandular sac of C1 compartments. However, in the cranioventral glandular sac, the mucosal thickness was insignificant (p>0.05) and in the caudodorsal non-glandular sac the thicknesses of the mucosa, circular layer of the muscular layer and serosa were insignificant (p>0.05) in the different age groups. This study showed that the histological layers in the different regions of the first compartment of the dromedary stomach gradually increase in thickness with the animal's age

Influence of age at weaning and feeding regimes on the postnatal morphology of the porcine small intestine

The small intestinal mucosal epithelium is the interface between ingested nutrients and their distribution networks in the underlying vasculature and lymphatics. This review reports on the small intestinal mucosal surface changes in the piglet from birth to the time of natural weaning (> 54 days). Despite numerous publications on the morphological characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract, there is limited comparability among these due to substantial methodological differences. The comparability of the methodological designs used in this review was achieved by relativizing the data to the day of weaning. Weaning at 35 days or later had little to no effect on the intestinal mucosa. Early weaning at 28, 21, 14, 5, 3, and 1 day after birth was associated with dramatic structural changes in the mucosa. A frequent observation after early weaning was prominent villus atrophy. While the crypt epithelium responds to redress these dramatic changes, villus recovery to near preweaning status may be slow. The earlier a piglet is weaned, the greater the villus atrophy and the longer the time to recovery. A causal relationship between reduced feed intake in the first days after weaning, independent of the diet, and the morphological alterations of the intestine is apparent